Continuing its special campaign against drug trafficking,the Muktsar police claimed to have recovered a whopping 25.5 kg of opium from three alleged smugglers near Malout village on Wednesday. Police said that the three,Nirmal Singh,Dyal Singh and Uday Lalwho,were apprehended while moving in a car.

They added that Dyal Singh was a known smuggler who had jumped parole. He had earlier been arrested after getting caught with 15 kg of opium in 2002; he served five and a half years in this case. Police said that Dyal was arrested again in 2009 after being held with 13 kilos of the drug at Faridkot. He was released on parole in this case but had failed to report to the jail.

Mukstar SSP Surjit Singh said that a police party led by SI Iqbal Singh,incharge CIA,Muktsar,and ASI Amrik Singh,incharge Narcotic cell had laid a naka near Malout village when they stopped a silver colour Maruti car.

It was being driven by Nirmal Singh while Dyal and Uday were the passengers.

Police said they searched the vehicle and found the drugs in two polythene papers in the cars gas tank. The SSP further said that a case under the NDPS Act has been registered at the Sadar Malout police station and that the arrested smugglers would be presented in court.